ARTS, BRIEFLY; Children Contest James Brown Will

Compiled by Lawrence Van Gelder

Published: December 31, 2007

Five of James Brown's children are seeking to invalidate his will on grounds that former advisers seeking to profit unduly influenced Brown, below, to create charitable trusts, The Associated Press reported, citing court documents. The children of Brown, the soul singer, were largely excluded from the financial part of the will, which left the bulk of Brown's money to trusts to educate his grandchildren and needy youngsters. Five of the Brown children are challenging the will in Aiken County Probate Court in South Carolina. One of the former advisers, Albert H. Dallas, denied the accusations and called efforts to void the will ''an act of desperation.'' One grandchild whose tuition would be paid by trusts created under the will accused his relatives of trying to break the charities to get the money. Most of Brown's estate, including his home in Beech Island, S.C., and rights to his image, name and music, would go to the James Brown ''I Feel Good'' Trust for the education of needy children in South Carolina and Georgia, as well as to a family trust to educate Brown's grandchildren younger than 35. He died at 73 on Christmas Day 2006.